Umbrella-lock.



C. A. BALL UMBRELLA LOCK. APPLICATlON man was. 1911.

INVENTOR. 1 CHARLES A. BALL;

WITNESS:

A TTORNEYS.

rnnr option.

CHARLES ALBERT BALL, F MARIQN, INDIANA.

UMBRELLA-LOCK.

meagre.

' vide a lockfor locking an umbrella closed,

and in the case of detachable handle umbrellas for locking the handle in place on the umbrella,,so that the umbrella cannot be opened and the handle cannot be removed by an unauthorized person. Preferably, I use a combination lock.

By thus locking the umbrella closed and the handle in place on the umbrella, the danger of theft of-the umbrella or of the removal of the handle from the umbrella is reduced, as umbrellas are usually stolen when it is raining, and there will be no object in stealing them if they cannot be opened.

The accompanying drawing illustrates my invention. the handle end of an umbrella embodying my invention, showing some of the parts in section to illustrate their cooperation; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view showing a similar elevation, but taken at right angles to Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an elevation in partial section, somewhat similar to Fig. 1 but showing the parts in looking position; Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one of the rotatable members of the combination lock; Figs. 5 and 6 are elevations from directly opposite points of the main sleeve of the lock; Figss7, 8,

and 9 are elevations from different points of view of the attaching sleeve of the handle; and Fig. 10 is a section on the line 10-10 of Fig. 8.

. The umbrella rod 15 is usually of metal tubing, andon it is mounted the sliding sleeve 16 by which the umbrella is raised and. lowered, this sleeve and rod being attached to the umbrella ribs in any ordinary manner. When the umbrella is closed, the sleeve 16 is held in proper position by a spring catch 17 in the usual manner, this catch being depressed by the thumb to release the sleeve 16 when it is desired to raise the umbrella.

At its handleward end the spring catch 17 is provided with a longitudinal notch 18, which when the spring catch is in its normal or outward position is in position to receive Specification of Letters Patent.

Figure-1 is an elevation of Patented Apr. 36, 1918..

Application filed. August 8, 1917. Serial No. 185,004..

the end of a sliding locking sleeve 19 mounted on the rod 15 on the handleward side of the sleeve 16. When the locking sleeve 19 is in the position shown in Fig. 1, it does not interfere with the depression of the spring catch 17 to permitthe umbrella to be raised; but when it is moved to the position shown in Fig. 3, it projects into the notch 18 and thereby prevents the depression of the spring catch 17 and in consequence prevents the raising of the umbrella. V

In order to prevent the locking sleeve 19 from being moved from the position shown in Fig. 3 by an unauthorized person, such sleeve is provided with a longitudinal slot 20 near its handleward end, through which slot project a plurality of locking fingers 21 carried by the rod 15. In order to facilitate assembling, these fingers 21 are spring mounted, though this spring mounting is not in all cases necessary, as for instance if the slot 20 is allowed to project all the way to the'handleward end of the locking sleeve 19. The fingers 21 prevent the look ing' sleeve 19 from turning, but do not interfere with a limited longitudinal movement of such locking sleeve. Mountedbetween the out-turned flange 22 at the handleward end of the locking sleeve 19 and a collar 23 carried by such sleeve at an intermediate point thereof are a plurality of rotatable members 2 1, which bear combination numbers on their exterior surface, and at their ends are provided with inwardly projecting flanges 25 by which they are supported from the locking tube. The number of rotatable members 2 f is one greater than v the number of fingers 21. The axial distance between the two flanges 25 of a rotatable member 24 is sufiicient to receive one of the fingers 21, as is clear from Fig. 1. The flanges 25 at the abutting ends of the rotatable members 2 1 (but not preferably the two end flanges of the complete series) are each provided with a notch 26, the two notches of the flanges 25 of the intermediate member or members 24 being in axial alinement. The location of these notches may bear any desired relation to the series of numbers on the exterior surface, so that by setting these to the predetermined combination the notches 26 may be brought all in alinement Withthe fingers 21 so that the locking sleeve 19 may be slid axially either into or out of locking position. When the locking sleeve has been moved to either of these positions it may be locked there by turning the rotatable members 24, and can onlybe moved again when the notches 26 have been brought into actual alinement with the fingers 21, by again setting the combination.

In umbrellas where the handle is not detachable, the umbrella rod 15 is suitably fastened to the handle; however, in many umbrellas the handle is detachable, in which case the handle 30 is fixed upon a short tube 31 (Figs. 7 8, 9, and 10) which telescopes over the handleward end of the rod 15, and within the handleward end of the locking sleeve 19. This tube 31 is provided with a plurality of laterally projecting fingers 32, one less in number than the number of rotatable members 2% and of less height than the lingers 21, and these fingers are in the same planes transverse to the axis of the umbrella as are the fingers 21 when the handle is in place and project through a longitudinal slot 34 in the locking sleeve 19. To permit the detaching of the handle, the flanges 25 of the rotatable members 24: are also provided with notches 33, which are of less depth than the notches 26 so that they cannot take the place of the latter in operation, and which come into alinement with the fingers 32 when the notches 26 of the same flanges come into alinement with the fingers 21, and the tube 31 has a slot 35 in line with the fingers 21. Thus the same setting of the rotatable members 2& which permits the sliding of the locking sleeve 19 also permits the tube 31 and the handle 30 to be slid on to and olf of the rod 15, to prevent such removal and replacement of the handle and its tube when the parts are not set to this combination. The locking of the handle in place on the rod 15 occurs for either position of the locking sleeve 19, though the fingers 32 cooperate with different rotatable members for such two positions.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an umbrella, the combination with the umbrella rod, the sliding tube which is slid along such rod for raising and lowering the umbrella, and the spring catch for bolding such tube in the position when the umbrella is closed, of a tube slidably mounted on said umbrella rod and movable into and out of a position wherein it prevents the depression of said spring catch to prevent the opening of the umbrella, and means for look ing said sliding tube in position to engage said spring catch.

2. In an umbrella, the combination with the umbrella red. the sliding tube which is slid along such rod for raising and lowering the umbrella, and the spring catch for holding such tube in the position when the 111nbrella is closed, of a tube slidably mounted on said umbrella rod and movable into and out of a position wherein it prevents the depression of said spring catch to prevent lhe opening of the umbrella, and a combination lock cooperating with said sliding tube and said rod for locking said sliding tube in position to engage said spring catch.

3. In an umbrella, the combination with the umbrella rod, of a detachable handle having a telescopic engagement with said rod, and a combination lock for locking said rod and handle together.

In an umbrella, the combination with the umbrella rod, the sliding tube which is slid along such rod for raising and lowering the umbrella, and the spring catch for holding such tube in the position when the umbrella is closed, of a handle having a detachable engagement with said rod, and a combination lock cooperating with said tube, said handle. and said spring catch for locking the handle on the rod and the spring catch against the depression which is necessary to open the umbrella.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Marion, Indiana, this el-th day of August, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and seventeen.

CHARLES ALBERT BALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

